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iHeartRadio Festival 2026: Cardi B’s Radio Comments, Wilson’s Dolly Tribute

Bethany Kent
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iHeartRadio Festival 2026: Cardi B’s Radio Comments, Wilson’s Dolly Tribute

The 2026 iHeartRadio Music Festival presented by Capital One wrapped its two-night run at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas this weekend. Ryan Seacrest hosted a lineup that spanned country, pop, rock, K-pop and hip hop. As a result, fans got one of the most genre-diverse nights in the festival’s history. And as a fan following along on social media myself, these were my highlights.

Cardi B Talks Radio and New Music Backstage

Beyond her Night 1 set, Cardi B chatted backstage with The Breakfast Club backstage for one of the weekend’s most candid moments. She revealed her plans for new music, saying, “after my birthday in November, I’m shipping myself away just to record.” When asked how many songs she currently has, she kept it simple: “two that I like.”

The most notable part of the conversation centered on radio itself. Cardi B made her stance clear, saying, “I’m gonna tell these labels, I’m gonna tell these execs, don’t ever count out radio. The radio will never lose its value.” For an industry audience, that kind of endorsement from one of Hip Hop’s biggest stars carries real weight.

Lainey Wilson Honors Dolly Parton

Night 2 brought its own standout moment courtesy of Lainey Wilson. She performed her own hits, including “Heart Like A Truck” and “4x4xU.” Then, she surprised the crowd with a tribute to Dolly Parton, singing “9 to 5.”

The Breakfast Club Tries to Keep Up With Ciara

Ciara’s Night 2 set included “GET UP,” “1, 2 Step” and “LEVEL UP,” and her dance moves clearly made an impression backstage. In an Instagram reel, The Breakfast Club’s Charlamagne Tha God and Jess Hilarious attempted to replicate her choreography. Honestly, both impressed me with how they could go.

To be fair, Ciara was “dancing for two” after she recently announced being pregnant with her fifth child. Here’s another highlight of her performing “Goodies.”

Snoop Dogg Closes the Show With a Wiz Khalifa Surprise

Snoop Dogg closed out the festival with a career-spanning set that included “Gin and Juice,” “Drop It Like It’s Hot” and “California Gurls.” Then, midway through, he brought out Wiz Khalifa for a surprise performance of “See You Again” and “Young, Wild and Free.” Consequently, the pairing gave the entire weekend a memorable send-off.

Both iHeartRadio’s Bootleg Kev and Heavy Hitter’s DJ Bonics posted some great behind the scenes content on Instagram.

What’s Next

A highlight special covering the full weekend will stream on Disney+ and Hulu starting October 1st. Between Cardi B’s radio comments, Lainey Wilson’s Dolly Parton tribute and Snoop Dogg’s Wiz Khalifa surprise, this year’s festival gave fans and industry insiders plenty to talk about.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

How George Kamel Uses TikTok and YouTube to Spread Dave Ramsey’s Personal Finance Message

Garrett Searight
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How George Kamel Uses TikTok and YouTube to Spread Dave Ramsey’s Personal Finance Message

George Kamel never drew up a master plan for his career. Instead, he raised his hand again and again until the Ramsey Network gave him a microphone. Today, the Ramsey personality co-hosts The Ramsey Show alongside Dave Ramsey, Rachel Cruze, Jade Warshaw and Dr. John Delony. He also helps carry Dave Ramsey’s personal finance message far beyond radio.

“I graduated from the University of Mobile with a communications degree, and I always loved marketing and media,” said Kamel. “The through line there, with social media and email and all of that, is that I loved marketing the content as much as I loved making the content.”

That marketing mindset shaped everything that followed. Consequently, Kamel views distribution as part of the creative process.

A Video-First Strategy

The push began with a format problem. Although The Ramsey Show works perfectly on radio, audio-first programming doesn’t always thrive on a video-first platform. So Kamel pitched a different approach.

“We found that The Ramsey Show is such a perfect show for radio, for an audio format,” Kamel said. “What we started doing was dumping everything on YouTube. So when it came time for me to have my own show, I said, ‘Hey, what if we did a video-first show that still works on audio? You could listen to it and still get it, but it’s so compelling that you want to go watch it.’ That’s what we found worked.”

As a result, his channel embraces variety instead of a rigid format. That flexibility lets his team test what audiences want to see.

“We can go down to Broadway in Nashville and ask people about their car payments,” stated Kamel. “We went to the World Cup and asked people how much they spent on their tickets. What’s interesting is that over time, we see trends start to die down.”

Even so, Kamel refuses to chase every platform individually. Instead, he focuses on making strong content.

“You can exhaust yourself trying to be all things to all people,” The Ramsey Show co-host shared. “What I’ve found is a better strategy for me is to just make really compelling content. That way, when you hear it, it’s gold. When you see it, it’s amazing. The long form is brilliant. The short form is compelling and makes me want to go watch the long form.”

Why Man-on-the-Street Interviews Work

Meanwhile, Kamel’s man-on-the-street interviews reflect that same philosophy. Initially, he launched them for his YouTube channel. Specifically, the goal was to show viewers real data rather than tell them about it.

“We started doing these man-on-the-street interviews for my YouTube channel as a voyeuristic take that was data-driven,” said Kamel. “The best part about it is that you have the most random, compelling conversations with strangers that cannot be manufactured inside of a script in a YouTube video. I think in a world where AI can create a perfect script, what people really want is an authentic moment that can’t be manufactured.”

That authenticity extends to his reaction videos. Genuine emotion, after all, beats a scripted monologue.

“We react to 10 TikTok videos about people talking about their car payments,” stated Kamel. “That alone warrants an authentic reaction from me in real time versus me just doing a nine-minute monologue about why car payments are bad. We are in a very show-don’t-tell environment when it comes to the media landscape.

“People are tired of being monologued to. They can get information a thousand ways. What they can’t get is an interpretation of that information or an experiential version of that information with real people.”

Finding His Voice

Finding his voice, however, took more time. Even now, the process isn’t finished.

“Oh boy, I feel like I’m still finding it,” Kamel said. “It’s easier to say what it’s not. We have a team of writers that works on our shows, and one of the most difficult tasks is getting them to understand your voice. I’ve uploaded transcripts of things that I’ve said to AI and said, ‘Hey, you tell me what the thread is with this.'”

Ultimately, writing his book, Breaking Free from Broke, sharpened that voice. In turn, the 300-page project forced him to define how he sounds.

“For me, writing my book, Breaking Free from Broke, was the greatest exercise in figuring out what my voice is,” said Kamel. “It’s easy to write a 62-second script or be on The Ramsey Show and just talk off the cuff. It’s another thing to craft 300 pages that sound like only George could have written this. That’s what we accomplished, and that became my Bible for the writers. If it sounds like something that could have been in this book, then we’re on track. You have different voices: one for writing, one for podcast, one for scripted YouTube content, and one for taking calls on air on The Ramsey Show. You have to be a chameleon depending on the context you’re in.”

What’s Next

Kamel isn’t slowing down, either. In fact, he told Barrett Media he thrives in the unknown.

“I’m always thinking about the next thing, the next tool, the next book, and how we can push the envelope,” said Kamel. “I’ve always been the guinea pig at Ramsey to try the new thing that we’re not sure is going to work. We’re going to be on all platforms trying to reach new people every day, and that mission isn’t going to stop with Dave. You may not connect to Dave or Rachel, but you might connect to me, or vice versa.”

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

How Radio Lost the Hustle to Local Campaigns

Keith Cunningham
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How Radio Lost the Hustle to Local Campaigns

Have you ever heard of Danny Ivanov? Of course you haven’t. Neither had I until I practically ran into him on my sidewalk. It was a recent Saturday afternoon, blazing hot outside, and as I returned home after errands, I saw a random guy put something under the mat.

I figured it was another flyer for pizza or dry cleaning. Not this time. It was a promotional piece for Danny Ivanov, running for City Council. And as I looked closer, I realized it wasn’t some volunteer or intern doing the dirty work. It was Danny himself carpet-bombing our block with flyers. Now I’m impressed.

So I got his attention and we talked for a minute or two. After all, I need to know whether he plans to make the neighborhood coyotes start paying property taxes, and how he’ll prevent California from sinking into the Pacific. But I won’t bore you with any of that.

DANNY IS OUTWORKING RADIO

When we were finished chatting, my brain went straight to strategy and how this may relate to our RockTernative world. My first thought was: Danny, a local attorney by day and political candidate by night, was doing more on a Saturday afternoon to promote himself than most radio stations.

Huge college football games were on, the beach was packed, two-for-one beers everywhere. But there he was — well dressed, a backpack full of flyers, sweating on an 85-degree day — getting the word out on his own.

That’s an underdog’s mentality. That’s a winner’s mentality. Does this mean stations should be going door-to-door on weekends? No, it doesn’t. But the larger point is what’s missing in many places. Hustle.

ROCK USED TO CAMPAIGN

I would never have heard of Danny Ivanov if he hadn’t walked my block and made sure I did. So don’t expect people who don’t already know your radio station to simply stumble across it. RockTernative used to understand this. Even the artists hustled.

Bands stapled flyers to telephone poles, handed out demos outside clubs, wallpapered bathrooms with stickers, and shook every hand at shows. Radio did its version, too: street teams, vans, bumper stickers, concerts, events, showing up wherever people would be… sometimes just driving around so they’d be in the mix.

Stations didn’t wait to be discovered or hope their citywide signal would be enough — they knew they had to go looking for an audience.

RETENTION ISN’T RECRUITMENT

The competitive landscape back then was far less crowded, and standing out was easier. But now — in a more competitive world — stations are more invisible than ever. They’ll promote themselves on their own air, social pages and apps. But isn’t that just existing? Reaching people already listening and following? Converting the converted? I’d call that retention.

Danny was recruiting. He was out building an audience and gaining attention. That’s where everything starts: before votes, ratings, downloads, followers or even presets. Brands must get on the radar first.

Before anyone rolls their eyes, Valpak is relatively cheap and about as close as 2026 gets to going door-to-door like Danny did. One of the dominant stations in Los Angeles, one you wouldn’t expect, has been inside Valpak for two years running.

And even if the marketing budget is in the red, Radio doesn’t need to start door-knocking this weekend. But at the very least, leave the building. Be amongst the people. On the streets, in the clubs, at the sports bars for games, lakes, malls, concerts and events, even parks where the weekend means a gathering.

Radio is big business, mass media, always needing to compete for attention. So why is it acceptable for so many stations to be invisible? Some clusters don’t even have adequate street teams anymore.

Danny Ivanov is just a regular guy with no transmitter or street team, running for a city office, yet he managed to make some noise in my neighborhood, on his own.

I don’t know whether he deserves my vote. If he deals with the coyotes, I’ll be handing out flyers for him next weekend. But he left the building, went out to build an audience, and got attention.

If this rant were a political campaign, the slogan would be simple: if you’re not out in it, you likely won’t win it.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

Why Laz Diaz’s Retirement Provides a Powerful Lesson for Sports Radio Veterans

John Mamola
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Why Laz Diaz’s Retirement Provides a Powerful Lesson for Sports Radio Veterans

If you’re a baseball fan, you know the name Laz Diaz. The 63-year-old umpire has been a focal point for baseball critics and commentators for the vast majority of his 31-year career, from mistakes on balls and strikes to hot-mic moments that made for plenty of viral clips. Next Sunday, Diaz will call his final game as a Major League umpire, closing out a career in a job that is supremely demanding yet often one of the most underappreciated roles in the game.

When Diaz spoke to USA Today about his upcoming retirement, his reflections on the game he served for more than three decades hit home. Resentment. Anger. Frustration with a sport that, in his view, has become too focused on the wrong things. His parting words don’t exactly shed a positive light on the profession for those who may want to follow in his footsteps.

It made me think: Have sports radio’s veterans done enough to elevate the medium they once served for the next generation?

In speaking with USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, Diaz said he attempts to warn up-and-coming umpires about the pressures of the job. He tells them that if they can’t have fun with it, they shouldn’t do it.

“There’s just so much scrutiny and negative stuff now,” Diaz said via USA Today. “It’s nasty. We don’t get the recognition. Everybody is putting us down. Like with Angel (Hernandez) and C.B. (Bucknor), they got so much criticism, and they’re great umpires. But everything is just so (expletive) negative.”

Diaz went on to say that he won’t miss the game in retirement because the sport has become too technical, restricting an umpire’s ability to manage a game.

Doesn’t that sound a lot like some of the legends of the sports radio industry?

“The station just isn’t the same.”

“Radio is a dying industry.”

“Today’s hosts are too soft on the teams they talk about.”

“The corporate suits have ruined the industry forever.”

Embracing Evolution

Much like baseball, the sports radio industry is different today than it was decades ago. Radio is no longer the sole destination for compelling opinions from talented hosts. The success of the medium has been copied time and time again across sports television, podcasts and digital platforms.

That doesn’t mean the industry is dying. It means there is more competition.

Today, sports radio stations and talent have to cater not only to the terrestrial audience, but also to on-demand, digital and social audiences. There are more hats to wear and more platforms to understand. For every legend of the format who takes time to criticize the current state of the industry, they also know their success would never have happened in the same way in today’s sports media environment.

Sports radio isn’t dying. It’s evolving. Just like baseball.

Nothing goes back to the way it was before. And that’s what can be so frustrating about seasoned veterans sharing overly negative perceptions about the roles they helped establish for future generations.

If we want people to be excited about growing the industry, the biggest voices in it should also be its loudest megaphones. Instead of finding every negative, why not showcase the positives and explain the rewards that came from pursuing the passion.

Yes, times are different. But why can’t that be challenging and exciting at the same time? Fan behaviors are different. More voices have copied the success model of sports radio and adapted it to other mediums. That should be a source of pride and achievement. Not a reason to compare today unfavorably with what came before it.

Was Laz Diaz a perfect umpire? Of course not. The sport’s lineage is built around the human element of the game. Sports radio legends are no different. They weren’t perfect, either, and traditional voices once believed the format would never last. What sports radio proved is that human connection through the vessel of sports is something you can’t ignore. It created community, built careers and proved to be a model for others to follow.

Elevate, Not Exterminate

Today, everything is amplified. Yes, that brings more criticism, but only if you allow it to outweigh the positives of how powerful the industry continues to be. That’s where Diaz’s comments and the criticism from some legacy sports radio personalities intersect. The pressure is different, the technology is different and the audience has changed, but the challenge remains the same: What do you choose to focus on?

Without the growth and evolution of the game, there is no future for the people who want to be part of it. Baseball will change. Sports radio will change. The audience, technology and way people consume content will change.

That’s inevitable. What shouldn’t change is the passion for the industry.

The people who helped build sports radio have every right to be proud of what they accomplished. But they also have an opportunity — and a responsibility — to explain to the next generation why it was worth doing in the first place. Sports radio doesn’t need its legends to pretend everything is perfect. It needs them to amplify what still works.

Talk about the connections. The careers. The audiences that still care. The opportunities that exist because those who came before them proved sports talk could matter.

Laz Diaz spent 31 years on a baseball field. Sports radio’s veterans spent decades behind microphones building a medium that became a blueprint for television, podcasts and digital content. That’s a legacy worth celebrating and a medium worth promoting.

If sports radio is going to continue to grow and survive whatever comes next, its biggest voices should be among its biggest advocates. The next generation doesn’t need to hear why things used to be better.

They need to hear why what comes next is worth building.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

Jenny Matthews, Jagger Take KC’s 106.5 The Wolf To New York 

David Hill
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Jenny Matthews, Jagger Take KC’s 106.5 The Wolf To New York 

106.5 The Wolf’s morning show in Kansas City is part of a growing shift in radio: when a local show builds enough momentum and chemistry, the company takes notice and syndicates it into other markets. That’s exactly what happened here. In September 2026, their bosses asked if they’d be interested in expanding to New York on an HD2 channel. The answer was yes.

But this story isn’t just about syndication. It’s about how two people from completely different paths through radio ended up in the same studio — and in each other’s lives.

*Editor’s Note: Answers have been edited for clarity and length.*

Jenny’s Road

Jenny Matthews grew up “playing DJ.” “I had my very own radio station in my bedroom. I had one of those — I think it was called Mr. Microphone. It was a microphone with a little cord on the end. If you held it close enough to your actual radio and went to some random AM signal, you could hear yourself on the air.”

She was obsessed with one voice. “I was a gigantic fan of Casey Kasem — rest in peace. I love that man, always have, always will. And I would listen to his countdown, and I would write down all the songs, and I would literally mimic the whole production. I wanted to be Casey Kasem. I had no idea how to get into radio, but I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”

She heard about the Connecticut School of Broadcasting through a radio ad and signed up immediately. Her internship was at 103.1 The Buzz in West Palm Beach, FL, which led to her first on-air job at sister station WMBX Mix 102.3, hosting the night show. She kept moving up, eventually becoming a producer for The Mo & Sally Morning Show and then a sidekick for Murphy in the Morning.

Then came 107.9 WIRK, the country station in the same cluster. “I don’t know country music, but yes, I will do this,” she told them when they asked if she’d join JD & The Wake Up Crew.

“I’m not gonna lie, I was terrified because I truly was a person who always said I don’t like country! But I quickly realized I actually love country music. I just didn’t realize it.”

The Email

But the real turning point came from an email.

Her husband — born and raised in Kansas City and working at a financial firm in South Florida — was listening to WIRK every morning on his way to work. He found her email address on the station website and wrote: “Single or attached?”

“That email led to a date, which led to literally both of us finding our soulmate,” she says. “We got engaged in South Florida. He told me he always wanted to get back to his hometown. He got a job offer in Kansas City, so I quit everything in radio in Florida, and we moved here.”

She started part-time at Mix 93.3 in Kansas City. Sixteen years. Then she moved to sister station Q104 to do country radio mornings again. A career. A life built.

Then, last February, everything changed.

“My dad was diagnosed with esophageal cancer,” Jenny explains. “At the very same time, management made a lot of changes to my show — they left me without a co-host or a plan. Everything in my gut told me it was time to go. I quit with nothing planned, except I knew I was going to be able to take care of my dad. I’ll never regret that.”

Her father passed in July. She faced the question every broadcaster fears: Is this it?

“I didn’t want that to be the end of my radio career,” she says. “I really didn’t. And I didn’t want to go out like that. And I didn’t know if there was another opportunity available. My mom and dad told me to know my worth and have faith. Turns out, they were right, and now I get to go out like this. The show of my dreams, surrounded by radio pros with the best work ethic, working for the most incredible management at a company where I feel truly valued. I couldn’t ask for more.”

Jagger’s Road

Jagger grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, at WHOT Hot 101 — a 50,000-watt blowtorch between Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

“I got my start at the legendary WHOT Hot 101. We were a station you could pick up on the way to Cleveland and on the way to Pittsburgh. Thanks to my mentor Tom Pappas for giving me my shot at a young age.”

He was 16 when he started. By 23, he’d been everything at the station — board operator, part-timer, night jock, music director. Then he started moving.

Birmingham. A year, then a format flip. Mobile. Three months. Fort Wayne. Another year gone to budget cuts and format changes. He was playing radio chess, figuring out the game.

Then Indianapolis: weekends at Radio Now 93.1. Six months that mattered.

“David Edgar was my PD at Radio Now. He taught me so much on how to tighten myself up and how to get to the next level.”

Salt Lake City came next. Multiple stations, multiple lessons. At KZHT, they ran a contest to name the new guy, which gave him his updated on-air name — Jagger. But these were all stepping stones to what he really wanted.

“I always wanted to be a big city jock and a big city programmer,” he said. “That was my dream.”

The New York Years

By 2004, he was ready. New Haven. KC 101. But Z100 in New York was already calling.

Romeo (Tim Herbster), a friend and programmer who was, at the time, Z100’s night jock and assistant music director, had a suggestion:

“Hey, Jagger, why don’t you send Tom Poleman your latest demo?”

Tom Poleman at Z100 responded via email.

“He asked me, ‘Hey, where are you at? Sounds excellent. What are you doing now?’ And I was like, ‘Well, I’m actually interviewing up the street, a station you used to work at, KC 101.’ He goes, ‘Okay, would you be interested in coming to New York to do part-time?’”

Jagger said yes to both. Nights at KC 101 in New Haven. Weekends at Z100 in New York.

“I’d drive back and forth every weekend, twice a weekend. Do my KC 101 job. Drive up Saturday and Sunday, back and forth. From KC 101 to, you know, Z100. And then it was cool as I was kind of developing at Z100. They’re like, ‘Hey, could you fill in for Shelley Wade middays?’ Sure, I’ll make it work.”

He filled in for afternoons, nights, late nights, and overnights — every shift except mornings. He was chasing the dream. But part-time at Z100 had a ceiling.

KTU

Then came 103.5 KTU, the other major New York Top 40 station. The 103.5 KTU job came up, where Tom and Rob Miller were like, ‘Hmm, all right, we don’t have a place for Jagger here, but we might have a place for Jagger here.’ And the rest is history.”

Jagger started doing full-time nights at KTU in November 2006. He committed to staying ten years. “I was there literally full-time from November of 2006 to 2016. It was 10 years. I kind of had that in my mind. Once I got to a certain point, I wanted to stay 10 years in New York. I want to do this.”

Seven to midnight. Night after night. But Z100 wasn’t done with him yet. Romeo, who had helped get him the original Z100 gig, was now the music director there and was leaving. He pitched Jagger to the station: “Hey, we know Jagger’s right over here, but Jagger has programming chops. He could be a great pick to be the next music director for Z100.”

Music Director for Z100

So, while doing nights at KTU, Jagger also became music director at Z100 from 2009 to 2016. Two stations. Two roles. Both driving forward.

“And I got the chance to be the music director at Z100 with Sharon Dastur, which was a great experience, and it taught me a lot when I was getting ready to go step and be a PD myself. So that’s kind of like my New York story.”

By 2016, the next level called. Hartford came up. WKSS, a legendary CHR. Jagger programmed that station and KC 101 again — the station where his New York journey had started.

“I got the station to its highest ratings, P25-54, in its history at the time. Back in 2018, so I was very proud of that accomplishment.”

But budget cuts in 2020 ended it. He moved to Kansas City and worked at various Cumulus stations, serving as Program Director and PM Drive host for 95.7 The Vibe and Program Director for 105.1 The X. Then another budget cut in 2024 left him looking for what came next.

How They Found Each Other

Jenny and JR Ammons had history. “JR was my PD at Mix 93.3 for a little while. I loved his leadership, had become friends with his wife, and we kept in touch all these years,” Jenny says. When she quit Q104, JR sent her a text: “Call me.”

“He’s like, ‘Do you WANT to be retired?’ I said, ‘I don’t think so. I mean, doing the laundry and stuff was keeping me busy, but I missed doing a radio show.’ He’s like, ‘Let’s have lunch.’”

He also knew Jagger, who was a free agent in Kansas City after the 2024 budget cuts. He knew Matt Gapske, an extraordinarily talented programmer and producer. And he had a vision.

“He had big ideas, and it took a while, but once the plan all came together, he’s like, ‘I’m telling you, just trust me. I know this is going to be a good team.’” The potential team — Jenny, Jagger, and Matt — met at a restaurant. Jenny knew immediately.

A Show at First Sight

“I left that very first interaction, and I could feel the good energy. I was like, this is it. And I really like these people and their ideas.”

Jagger felt the same way. “I do remember JR was like, ‘You have to meet this person. You have to. I have to connect you two.’ I didn’t know who it was, but then I started figuring it out. Like, oh wait a second, I think I might have an idea who this mystery person is that JR wants me to meet, and I was intrigued by it.”

But once they met, it was instant. “Our chemistry was there from the minute we met,” Jenny says. “Jagger’s all heart and all professional, and I honestly feel like I’m working with a superstar every day. It is so cool.”

Jagger sees it the same way. “I think the world of Jenny Matthews. The connection she made with all of KC during her time at Mix 93.3 and Q104 to 106.5 The Wolf. That’s legendary in itself — to be a solid Top 40 jock and grow within the market back to doing what she loves on country radio.”

106.5 The Wolf and Beyond

By fall 2026, 106.5 The Wolf’s morning show had built something their bosses took notice of. The call came to syndicate into New York.

“We were asked if we’d be interested in doing this, and we’re like, absolutely, we’re excited about it,” Jagger says. “I think these guys know how much I love New York. I’ve told them stories about how much I’ve loved my time there. When this kind of just popped up to us, we’re like, yeah. It’s the coolest thing to have happen. It’s really exciting.”

Jenny kept it grounded: “We hope it leads to more. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. If it does, great. We’re proud of our show. We’re on board.”

The Team Behind It

But this isn’t just about Jenny and Jagger. The show works because of what’s built around them. Executive Producer Matt Gapske handles daily show production. JR Ammons, VP of Programming for Kansas City, St. Louis, Houston, and Atlanta, oversees strategy and direction. Market Manager Roxanne Marati oversees station operations.

That’s the thing about radio that still works. It’s not one person in a studio. It’s a team. Ands it’s a producer who knows how to pace a show, edit on the fly, and keep the energy moving. It’s a VP of Programming with oversight across major markets who fights for the talent. It’s corporate oversight that says yes instead of no.

Jagger made a point of acknowledging the full ecosystem:

“I’m just grateful for this opportunity to work with Jenny, Matt, and JR Ammons. We have an awesome market manager named Roxanne Marati. I’m grateful for all the people who are behind us and all the people within Audacy who are involved in this as well, from Tim Roberts to John Foxx and Chris Michaels, to get us to do what we’re doing with not only 106.5 The Wolf but also within New York as well.”

All Roads

Jenny’s journey from Mr. Microphone in Florida to 106.5 The Wolf in Kansas City wasn’t planned. Jagger’s path through a dozen markets wasn’t charted in advance. But both were moving toward something they believed in, and both were disciplined enough to get better at their craft.

And they ended up in the same studio with producer Matt handling the show, JR Ammons as VP of Programming overseeing strategy across four major markets, Roxanne Marati fighting for them behind the scenes, and Audacy deciding to invest instead of cut.

This is what reinvestment in radio looks like. Not the algorithm. Not the cost-cutting. And not the formats baked into software. Real people, real talent, real support — given the freedom to build something that works in a market, and then trusting it enough to expand it beyond.

All roads led to Kansas City. Now those roads extend beyond.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

Should Nielsen Create a Low-Cost Ratings Service for Small Radio Markets?

Dr. Ed Cohen
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Should Nielsen Create a Low-Cost Ratings Service for Small Radio Markets?

Bowling Green, Kentucky, has been condemned to death. As a resident, I can tell you it’s a wonderful place to live. We have great tourist attractions, including the National Corvette Museum and track. Mammoth Cave National Park is in the metro. We have a good school, Western Kentucky University, which, as I’ve noted here before, has a wonderful student radio station, WWHR-FM, Revolution 91.7. I always promote the station, so please download our app. And BG is an hour’s drive from one of America’s most fun cities, Nashville.

No matter. The word from Nielsen Audio is “you’re dead to us.” We hear the Stones’ version of “It’s All Over Now” in our heads. The Fall 2026 Presurvey Bulletin delivered the news that the Bowling Green, Kentucky, market has been canceled, effective immediately. Those of us who live and work here could see it coming. The loss of subscribers and the lack of interest in Nielsen’s product on the part of new ownerships helped doom Bowling Green.

We blame Nielsen for a lot of things, especially in its current version, but Nielsen is a business. Conducting surveys with almost no revenue is not conducive to longevity or to keeping the company’s private equity owners happy. But does market 161, albeit no longer ranked, matter in the grand scheme of things?

Bowling Green Joins a Growing List of Lost Markets

Bowling Green isn’t the first to go. Our metro joins a long list of former markets, among them Burlington-Plattsburgh, Greenville-New Bern-Jacksonville, Lakeland-Winter Haven, Texarkana, and, coming next year, Puerto Rico. No, with the exception of Puerto Rico, these aren’t big markets, though some argued that the island should never have been ranked with U.S. mainland markets.

This is one more sign of negative change in the U.S. commercial radio business. There was a time when Arbitron measured over 300 markets. In my time at the company, small-market subscribers could make money with Arbitron and later Nielsen data. That time appears to have passed. The consistent flow of layoffs, along with the shutdowns of numerous stations, mostly on the AM band, has been the public face of decline. Add the Nielsen market shutdowns to the picture.

Could Nielsen Offer a Low-Cost Option for Small Markets?

For smaller metros to continue using syndicated ratings data, there must be a less expensive alternative. Some markets may go with Eastlan, which costs far less. My column of December 5, 2025, covered a change in Switzerland, where the cost to operators was expected to be halved.

In its current fight with Nielsen, Cumulus is using alternative measures of audience, including DTS AutoStage, Eastlan, and The Media Audit. Of course, less money means less data.

I’m not privy to anything Nielsen may be planning, but is it time for the company to consider a low-cost option for small markets? The change to two-book averaging some years back was a move to smooth out data without adding costs.

But do programmers in smaller markets need quarter-hour-by-quarter-hour data for Men 25-34?

What a Small-Market Survey Might Look Like

Let’s spitball a small-market Nielsen survey and its implications for a moment. For all the griping about the service, whether about the current company or Arbitron before it, it’s been the “standard” for around six decades. I hesitate to use the word “gold” with “standard” here. The periodic table brings other elements to mind, perhaps carbon, tin, or helium. You may opt for boron or neon. Niobium standard, anyone?

I think we can agree that we’d want a cume number to measure reach. We’d want some idea of average audience across a daypart, along with some standard dayparts. We’d also want some broad demo breaks but would forgo the “drill down.”

Could Nielsen use a one-shot survey with modeling, à la the old Birch method? Could PPM data (all markets rolled up) be part of a model? Nielsen has more data on U.S. radio listening than any company in history, and while individual stations move around, format shares move slowly. Country may go up a bit, then drop based on the latest songs. News/talk may move up or down depending upon who gets elected. The changes are slow, and that data can feed a model.

The Metro Tombstones Keep Multiplying

The goal should be something cheap and useful, returning to the proposition that paying Nielsen for data results in greater revenue for the subscriber. The monetary return on the data collection and the subscription must be sufficiently positive for both Nielsen and the cluster. And no, I’m not holding my breath waiting for a product like this to be announced.

Until this happens, if ever, the number of metro tombstones will keep increasing. Today, Bowling Green, Kentucky. Tomorrow, Puerto Rico. Maybe your small market is next. And if it happens, will you care?

Let’s meet again next week.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

Greg Papa Back in Hospital With Advanced Heart Failure

Jason Barrett
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Greg Papa Back in Hospital With Advanced Heart Failure

Greg Papa is back in the hospital with advanced heart failure. The longtime 49ers radio voice disclosed the setback to Cam Inman of The Mercury News.

What We Know: Papa, 63, is receiving care at UCSF. His health battle began with a leukemia diagnosis before last season. Greg’s bone marrow transplant in March put his leukemia in remission but worsened his genetic cardiomyopathy, which doctors found in 2023. Doctors are weighing medication, an LVAD, or a possible heart transplant. Meanwhile, Guy Haberman has stepped in alongside Tim Ryan on 49ers Radio Network broadcasts.

What They Said: “A week after that beautiful night in Novato, I experienced another health setback. My genetic heart condition, cardiomyopathy, has greatly worsened due to the bone marrow transplant. The Advanced Heart Failure team at UCSF performed a diagnostic procedure Tuesday morning for a clearer picture of the condition of the heart. I’ve battled hard for a long time. I was in the hospital for 11 weeks, most of it in ICU. My body is starting to wear down, I tell you. I’m battling as hard as I can.” -Greg Papa

What Remains Unclear: It remains unclear whether Papa will need a transplant. No recovery timeline has emerged. “Lunch With Papa” on KNBR and his NBC Sports Bay Area and Sactown Sports appearances remain on hold. It’s also unclear if he will return to the 49ers booth or how long Haberman will fill in.

What It Means: The setback pauses a comeback that just began recently. KNBR rehired him September 10th after previously letting him go. The station expected him to appear daily with John Lund for “Lunch With Papa” from 12p-1p PST. Additionally, NBC Sports Bay Area made plans to utilize him as a studio analyst. Sactown Sports 1140 in Sacramento also arranged to feature him as a football season contributor. Yahoo Sports captured a number of the supportive messages Papa has received from Bay Area fans. A GoFundMe from the David Benzer Strike Out Fear Foundation is helping cover his medical and recovery expenses. Media members are encouraged to help. For now, doctors continue working on his condition as fans wait for updates.

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Donald Trump: I Am Banning CNN, MS NOW, Politico From White House

Garrett Searight
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Donald Trump: I Am Banning CNN, MS NOW, Politico From White House

Donald Trump announced Friday that CNN, MS NOW, and Politico would no longer have access to the White House. The president cited what he called inaccurate coverage in a Truth Social post.

What We Know: President Donald Trump announced Friday that CNN, MS NOW, and Politico are banned from the White House, effective immediately. Trump made the announcement on Truth Social, where he accused the outlets of repeatedly publishing what he considers false information. He also warned that additional media organizations could face similar restrictions.

What They Said: “I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW (who recently changed their name from MSNBC due to lack of viewership and credibility!), and Politico (The recipients of an illegal and ridiculous $8 Million Dollar subscription, an All Time Record, directly from the United States Government, under Crooked Joe Biden, in order to keep them “alive.” Seems like corruption to me!), from the White House as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS! Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America. Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” -President Donald Trump

What Remains Unclear: Trump didn’t identify specific stories that prompted the decision or explain how the restrictions will be implemented. It also remains unclear whether the ban applies to individual reporters, all employees, or the organizations’ broader White House access. The administration hasn’t publicly detailed the scope of the move.

What It Means: The announcement escalates Trump’s ongoing dispute with several national news organizations. Meanwhile, the White House has yet to provide additional details about the policy or whether other outlets will face similar restrictions.

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Evan Roberts Suggests Howie Rose’s Final Call Be Opening Day 2027 if Sunday Has Weather Delays

John Mamola
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Evan Roberts Suggests Howie Rose’s Final Call Be Opening Day 2027 if Sunday Has Weather Delays

WFAN’s Evan Roberts wants a weather contingency for Howie Rose’s Mets farewell. He says the team should shift the tribute to next season’s opener if Sunday’s finale gets rained out or postponed.

What We Know: Howie Rose is calling his final Mets game this season after decades in the booth. Sunday’s home finale at Citi Field doubles as his farewell broadcast. Rain is in the forecast, threatening to disrupt or wash out the game entirely. Roberts raised his proposal Friday on WFAN’s Evan & Tiki show.

What They Said: (all quotes via WFAN):

Evan Roberts: “Howie Rose’s final game should be next season’s opening day. You do one last game, a ceremony on opening day. Whoever your replacement is, it’s one day. You’ll get plenty of more opening days. Let Howie and Keith Raad finish it the right way with 40,000 people, with optimism, hope, and then Howie can drop the mic and say I’m out.”

Evan Roberts: “It would just suck for Howie [Rose], one of the legends of all time, to have either Sunday’s game rained out, which it may because of the weather, or it’s played in horrific conditions.”

What Remains Unclear: It’s unclear whether Mets management would embrace Roberts’ idea. There’s also no confirmation yet on how Sunday’s weather will unfold. Meanwhile, questions linger over who succeeds Rose in the booth. The team has said nothing official about postponing any part of Sunday’s ceremony for weather delays.

What It Means: Roberts’ proposal underscores how much Rose means to Mets fans. A rain-soaked farewell would undercut a legendary broadcaster’s final moment. Waiting for Opening Day, however, could guarantee the send-off gets the crowd and atmosphere it deserves. Ultimately, the decision rests with the Mets, not WFAN’s airwaves.

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Major Garrett’s CBS News Podcast ‘The Takeout’ Adds New Election Segments with VoteHub Partnership

Garrett Searight
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Major Garrett’s CBS News Podcast ‘The Takeout’ Adds New Election Segments with VoteHub Partnership

CBS News is expanding The Takeout with Major Garrett ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The network also is partnering with VoteHub to add election data and analysis to its coverage.

What We Know: The Takeout airs weekdays at 5 p.m. ET on CBS News 24/7. The show has added four recurring America Decides segments — State by State, Data Central, The Money Machine, and Reporter’s Notebook — covering battleground races, polling, fundraising, and reporting from the field. Meanwhile, the CBS News Data Desk is working with VoteHub on election data, survey aggregation, maps, forecasts, and analysis. VoteHub head of data science Zachary Donnini will continue appearing on CBS News, while the teams will work together on election night.

What They Said: “These new segments bring together data, on-the-ground reporting and conversations with newsmakers to help audiences better understand the election and the issues driving it.” -Major Garrett

What Remains Unclear: CBS News has not detailed how frequently each new segment will appear or how the VoteHub partnership will affect specific election-night presentations. The network also has not outlined the full scope of the partnership beyond its planned data and analysis components.

What It Means: The expansion gives The Takeout a broader election focus as the midterms approach. At the same time, CBS News is adding outside election-data expertise to its broader political coverage.

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